María Isabel Urrutia


María Isabel Urrutia Ocoró is a former weightlifter, athlete and politician from Colombia. She won the first ever gold medal for Colombia at the Summer Olympic Games.

Athletic career

Background

Initially she competed in shot put and discus throw, and participated in the 1988 Summer Olympics in these events.

Weightlifting

She switched to weightlifting in 1989, and won silver at the 1989 World Championships. She won gold at the 1990, silver 1991, gold 1994, silver 1995, bronze 1996, silver 1997, and bronze at the 1998 World Weightlifting Championships.
Urrutia won a gold medal in the women's 75 kg class in the 2000 Summer Olympics, her country's first Olympic gold medal.

Personal life

Urrutia retired after the 2000 Olympics and entered politics. She held a seat in the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia from 2002 to 2010.